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  4. CCA Texas 2023 Early Happenings

CCA Texas 2023 Early Happenings

John Blaha
CCA Texas 2023 Early Happenings

2023 is off to a running start. CCA Texas Assistant Directors kicked the year off quickly meeting with local volunteer chapter boards across the state getting ready for 2023 banquets. By the time this issue hits the newsstands, CCA Texas will have already had banquets at the Trinity Valley (Dayton), Texas State (San Marcos), San Bernard (East Bernard), and Saltgrass (Winnie) chapters. 2022 banquets saw success across the state and the energy from local volunteers and communities is as strong as ever. 2023 looks to be a promising year and the staff and leadership at CCA Texas are looking forward to another exciting year.

Local chapters and their fundraising banquets are crucial to the work of CCA Texas. As we have often said, these local volunteers and communities are the backbone and fuel of the organization. Over time, CCA Texas has been fortunate to have several companies step in with statewide support of the organization as well. Statewide sponsors for CCA Texas in 2023 include: Academy Sports + Outdoors; Busch Light- Anheuser Busch; Frio Ice Chests; Frogg Toggs; John Deere; Marucci Sunglasses; Rhineland Cutlery; Tincup Whiskey; and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. These sponsors all play a part in each individual chapter banquet and CCA Texas is fortunate to have them all as part of the organization’s fundraising efforts. Local chapters welcome community support and volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, be sure to reach out to CCA Texas at (713) 626-4222 and you will be connected to the Assistant Director for your area. Be sure to also mark your calendars for upcoming events in March: Sabine Neches (Port Arthur) March 2nd; Brazos Valley(Bryan) March 3rd; Corpus Christi March 9th; Greater Sugar Land (Sugar Land) March 9th; Helotes March 23rd; and Colorado Valley (La Grange) March 30th.

Advocacy

CCA Texas’s Advocacy Team has been busy since the turn of the calendar into 2023. The Advocacy Team is focused on the current legislative session and is monitoring all legislative bills being introduced that may have an impact on fisheries management and any day-to-day operations of the organization.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Commission met in late January, and three items were brought to the commission for consideration to move forward to public hearing. These management items included the following:

  • Shortfin Mako Shark – match federal regulations prohibiting retention of shortfin mako sharks. Effective July 5, 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) enacted a final rule prohibiting the landing or retention of shortfin mako sharks in any U.S. Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) fishery until further notice. Coastal Fisheries Division proposes to add shortfin mako to the list of prohibited shark species for both the recreational and commercial fishing proclamations.
  • Cobia – match federal regulations of a one fish per person, per day bag limit and a vessel limit of two fish per trip, not to exceed the per person bag limit, for the recreational and commercial fisheries. This change is proposed to address declining stocks of cobia in the Gulf of Mexico and to facilitate ease of enforcement with federal regulations.
  • Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2020 (DESCEND Act) in state waters – mirror the DESCEND Act requirements, which apply to Gulf of Mexico federal waters, in state waters, but require anglers to use the devices when a fish exhibits signs of barotrauma. The DESCEND Act applies to commercial vessels, charter vessels and headboats, as well as private recreational vessels fishing for reef fish such as red snapper. The DESCEND Act requires fishermen to have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to use when fishing for reef fish. This amendment would require anglers to utilize a venting tool or descending device in state waters when fish exhibit signs of barotrauma. This change will ease enforcement through consistency with federal regulations and reduce discard mortality of reef fish in state waters.

The TPWD Commission did vote to publish these changes and they will be put forward for public comment in the near future. Be sure to watch for TPWD announcements for public hearings and opportunities to comment.

Habitat

CCA Texas’s habitat committee, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT), has been active as well. With strong interest and support from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, CCA Texas has approved funding of $226,250 to create five more reef beds located off the Goose Island State Park Big Tree Unit. This reefing site currently has thirty-nine reef beds, and these final five will complete the permitted area. Tito’s Handmade Vodka has contributed $50,000 to the total cost that will put the final touch on this multiphase project lead by Dr. Jennifer Pollack and her staff at Harte Research Institute (HRI). A late spring deployment of materials is planned at this time, pending the renewal of annual permits. The end result of this project is a living shoreline which offers shoreline erosion protection, habitat for many species, increased eco-system health, and an easily assessable fishing area for recreational fisherman by foot or boat. This project exemplifies the importance of partnerships between academics, conservation organizations, government agencies, and local industry and businesses.

CCA Texas encourages you to visit your local chapter, attend a banquet, be a part of the process that manages our fisheries and eco-systems, and above all enjoy Texas’s coastal resources and pass along the importance of a strong conservation-minded approach to others as they enjoy these resources. Be sure to visit CCA Texas at www.ccatexas.org, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CCATexas and Instagram at @cca_texas.